Together Forever
by The Last Letter
Summary: Two years after Bones dies, it's Booth's turn to go.


He had brought her roses. She would laugh, argue even, she didn't understand that he needed to talk to her, just for the sake of bringing her just a little closer. His eighty-year-old knees cracked as he knelt in front of the headstone.

As was his routine he read the stone first:

Temperance Brennan-BoothSeeley Booth

1977-20551977-

Together Forever

He touched her name. He had met her more than forty years ago. She had changed very little since then. She had learned to be a little more social, had gotten a big education on pop culture, she had ended up with T.V., the biggest of all though, was that she learned to trust. After all, she had married him, thought about once a month, it was 'the biggest mistake of her life' earning him a kiss when she felt bad about it.

In the end though, she was the same - feisty, driven, straight forward, eager, argumentative, beautiful, lovable, passionate, and, as he put in her eulogy, 'a squint to her dying day.' That last one had earned him rather feeble smack from Angela, as had putting 'Temperance 'Bones' Brennan-Booth' as her name.

"Hey, Bones." He rasped. "I miss you, as always. We have a great-grandchild now. Parker and Debbie's son, Richard and his wife Linda had a baby girl. They called her Christine, after your mother. They wanted to call her Temperance, but I didn't like the idea. You were one of a kind, Bones, I wanted it to stay that way.

"Lisa's cancer is in remission. She, Russ and Lillian are all coming to stay for Christmas. I'll be glad to have company. You'd think with four children, seven in-laws, eight grandchildren, a great-grandchild, three nieces, a nephew, Angela and Hodgins I wouldn't get lonely, but I do. I miss you so much Bones. Life just isn't the same any more."

Booth brushed a tear from his eye. "I never thought that two years could last an eternity, but it can. And knowing more years are coming . . . It's hard. I love being here with Parker, Jason, Max and Suzie, but they're not you. Richard, McKenzie, Allison, Jeffery, Ashton, Brittany, Cathy, Andrew and Christine are wonderful, beautiful, but they're not you."

He touched her name again and broke down. "I need you back. I need you to come back to me. I can't survive without you, Bones."

***

Parker felt the floor fall out from under him. His Dad had a heart attack. He felt Debbie's hand rest on his shoulder, "Parks?" She asked, tenderly.

"Dad's dead." Parker told her. He felt too numb to cry, like it hadn't quite it him yet.

Debbie started to sob. "Parker!" She cried as they held each other.

"MOM!" Eighteen-year-old McKenzie yelled loudly, bounding into the kitchen. She stopped when she saw her mother's tears.

Debbie turned to her daughter. "Gramps died today." McKenzie cried.

***

"I didn't think he'd hold out this long." The four Booth children all turned to where an old Angela limped her way over to them. The funeral had just ended and they were paying their last respects.

"Angela, what are you talking about?" A tearful Suzie asked, her eyes red from crying.

"Oh, Sweeties, you all saw how he was after Bren passed. Booth was always strong, but losing her the way we did . . . It broke him." Angela explained, tears forming in her eyes thinking of the horrible car accident that claimed her best friend's life two years ago.

"Jack is waiting for you Angela, I'll walk you." Jason offered. He kissed his index finger and middle finger of his right hand, pressed it onto the top of the headstone, he then offered his arm to Angela. Together they hobbled toward her husband seated in the wheelchair.

"Do you two have a drive home Angela?" Jason asked.

"Yes, Robbie is here."

Suzie pressed her palm to the stone and fell into her husband's arms, the only safe place she had left. Max gently rubbed the side of the stone before linking arms with his wife.

Parker slid his hands into the pockets of his coat. "I love you Dad. I love you Mama Bones." As he walked toward his waiting family, Parker couldn't help but visualize Dad and Mama Bones together in heaven, keeping an eye out for their growing family.

Behind him the wind ruffled the grass around the gray stone that now read:

Temperance Brennan-BoothSeeley Booth

1977-20551977-2057Together Forever

**I don't own **_**Bones**_**. If anyone wants a family tree from this story contact me and I can give you their children and grandchildren's names.**

**~DI4MGZ~**


End file.
